Keira Code is a current Burton Glen eighth-grade scholar who works alongside Burton Glen alumni Riley Code, Zyhir Stegall, and Sema’J Jackson. Siblings, Keira and Riley, have made it a family affair. Their father is on hand to guide the students as one of Team TESLA’s coaches. And grandma, Burton Glen’s Office Administrator Lisa Code, joins in on the robotics action, helping with marketing strategies, making bumpers, and more.
Together, with coaches and mentors guiding them, this group of 21 students must produce a professional-grade product that is designed, machined, programmed, and marketed to win at the FIRST® in Michigan Robotics Competition. This includes building a 115-pound robot in just six weeks, requiring everything from intricate computer-aided design (CAD) blueprints and complex programming to physical assembly, and even custom merch design.
As the team navigates the intense February build schedule, they are putting the NHA Moral Focus™ virtue of Courage into daily practice. In the world of robotics, courage isn't just about bravery; it’s the mental strength to face the unknown. It takes courage to spend dozens of hours on a design that might fail during testing, and even more courage to dismantle it and start over to find a better way.
This year, that courage is being tested in a new way. Anna MacDonald, the robotics supervisor for Team TESLA, noted that the team is currently in a major transition phase.
"Last year, we had a very veteran-heavy team, but those students have since graduated," MacDonald shared. "This year’s team is a lot younger with less experience. They are being asked to step up in a lot of areas, from leadership to technical design, that they haven't had to manage before. Watching them embrace that challenge is where you really see their growth."
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Recently, Kyle Rife, Burton Glen’s Admissions Representative, stopped by their workshop to witness this "stepping up" firsthand. Seeing the students deep in the build process, he asked them what they loved most about competitive robotics.
"The scholars said during the competition, sometimes things don't work correctly," Rife noted. "So, they work together to then solve problems and adjust. They must change their approach and work together to fix the problem. They were proud of the fact they were able to stay calm under pressure.”
That "pivot and persevere" attitude, a true display of courage, is exactly what earned them the Regional Event Winner titles at the Kettering and Troy competitions last season. With a younger crew now at the helm, that same mindset is being forged once again in the workshop.
As the 115-pound machine takes shape, it’s clear that Keira, Riley, Zyhir, Sema’J, and the entire Team TESLA crew aren't just building a robot; they're building a legacy of resilience. Those wishing to cheer on Team TESLA will have several opportunities to see their courage in action this March.
“The team will be able to ‘test the waters’ on March 1 at the ‘Week Zero’ competition. It is like a scrimmage where they will be able to test out the robot and see what works and what doesn’t,” MacDonald said. “Then, March 20-22 at Kearsley High School, the team will compete at the first District/Regional competition.”
The full competition schedule can be found on Team TESLA’s website.
“Sema’J took it upon himself to design the website,” shares Rife. “Those interested in supporting our scholars can visit it here.”
Way to go Team TESLA and Burton Glen Alumni. Good luck this spring!
About Burton Glen Charter Academy
Burton Glen Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Burton, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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